What Love Is
by Reachabledreamz
Summary: Mental Institutes serve great purpose to those who need it. The "crazy house" helps people find themselves and become a different person. In this case, Nick and April find each other and hope they never change.


"I'm not crazy!" He yelled as the men in the white costs dragged him into the building. "I don't have any issues!"

"Sir, calm down." The nurse said taking his arm aggressively and dragging him even further into a room with about six other people in a circle.

"Why am I here?! I'm not crazy!" He yelled and she shut the door on him, leaving him in a room with strangers.

"Nick ... please sit down." The man said in a stern voice.

"Why am I here? I didn't do anything! Let me leave!" Nick yelled at the man.

"You're here because people who love and care about you are worried."

"Worried about what?"

"Your mental health. We've set up a daily plan that could have you out of here in at least a year and a half, so if you're just patient-"

"A year and a half?! No! I'm not staying here!"

"Will you please sit down and join us or we can have security escort you to your room."

Nick thought about it. He didn't want any of those men in white coats to come back and get him, so he sat down in the closest chair. He ended up next to a girl around his age and a man a little younger.

"So we will continue. As I was saying, we're here today with you all specifically because someone close to you has called us and told us our assistance was needed. You all have a range of different diagnosis that we will he through today. Now that Nick has joined us, we will begin. April, lets start with you."

"What about me?" The girl next to Nick said speaking up.

"What seems to be the problem? Why have you been acting differently? Why would someone want you here with us?"

"I don't know. I live my life just like the rest of the people here. Coasting by and then something finally went wrong in my pretty painting and I lost it." April said pushing her hair out of her face. Nick saw her profile clearly and he was a beautiful woman. Why was she here? He wanted to know.

"What went wrong?"

"Nothing major enough for me to be here, but I'm here so why not make the most of it and act crazy." She said growing a wicked smile on her face. "It's fun to pretend. I see why my ex-husband likes it so much. Pretending is fun."

"Yes, it says here you were married. What does your husband say about you being here?"

"I was married, so he shouldn't have anything to say."

"How do you feel about all of this?"

"Are we in a therapy session or a mental institute?" She asked sarcastically.

"Okay no need to get angry April. How about you Nick? Why are you here?"

"I coasted my way through life." Nick said looking over at April and seeing her grin at him. "I was happy until everything hit the fan and I ended up here."

"It says your mom died a long time ago ... is that a reason why your behavior had been irrational lately? Has the memory of her come back?"

"No. My mom dying has nothing to do with why I'm here and I agree with April. You're treating this like a therapy session and not a meeting for mental patients."

The man looked at them angrily and adjourned the meeting. Nick walked out and went to his room quickly. He didn't want anyone to talk to him because he didn't want to be here. He didn't want to make friends. He didn't want to get to know anyone. He was "mental".

"Dinner." A nurse said rudely as she passed his room.

Nick came out of his room and followed the nurse. He soon found himself in a huge cafeteria with only a couple people in it though. "Where is everybody? I thought it was dinner?"

"It is. For you all." She said brushing passed him as she went away.

April was across the room watching him. She was strangely attracted to him. Not physically. Mentally.

He was the only one in that room that found her joke and sarcasm funny. He connected with her for a moment.

"Would you mind if I sat here?" She said finally finding the courage to come and talk to him.

"Of course not, go ahead." He said nodding towards the seat in front of him.

"So what's your name?" She asked with a smile.

"Nick, and you?"

"April."

And that was the start of their friendship. For the next five months they were inseparable. They did everything together. You name it, they tried it, and they wouldn't do it without each other. The things they had in common had gotten so abundant that they lost count.

Nick sat in his usual spot, waiting on April to show up. He suddenly heard the piano playing and saw it was her at the piano playing a very lovely tune. "I didn't know you play piano."

"I have about 3 secrets that I haven't told you yet." April said smiling at him.

"Will I find those things out? Or will they stay secrets?"

"Depends on how much you want to know."

"Everything." He said in a deep voice that made her laugh. Her laugh was contagious and he loved it. Nick found himself finding the small things about her, the things he liked the most.

April stood up and walked away turning a corner and leaving him confused. She ducked her head back in the room and used her index finger to tell him to come here. He got up quickly and followed her.

When they finished walking, they were in their special place. A garden outside the building that they were allowed to go to.

"So you want to know a couple things about me?" She asked coming really close to him.

"Yes." He mustered out.

"Okay, before I tell you secret number two, I think it's time you knew why I am here, which is secret one."

"Are you sure?" He asked not wanting to make her feel pressured to tell him.

She smiled her gorgeous smile and continued. "I was married. His name was John. I won't lie and say I didn't love him because I did. When we got married, things changed and long story short, I didn't love him anymore. He put me in here and told them he was worried about me."

"Why would he do that?"

"We got in a really big fight and I was going to leave him and he put me in here so he could be the one to divorce me, and not the other way around."

"Wow." Is all Nick could find in his vocabulary to say.

"I know. But I'm glad he put me here because I met you, and you're definitely better than anything else I'd be doing with my life, if I wasn't here."

"Thank you April." Nick said genuinely. He felt the same way about her. She made being here so much fun. It didn't even feel like a mental institute anymore.

"So secret number two is kind of embarrassing depending on how you feel about me."

"April, you know I'll always be your friend, no matter what."

"That's the thing. I don't want to be your friend anymore Nick."

"Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"You're perfect. And that's why I can't be your friend anymore. I want to be more than just your friend." She said looking him in the eyes.

Nick smiled and pulled her into a loving kiss. Of course he wanted to be with her. She was perfect for him too. Yes, they always said they were best friends, but who said they couldn't be more than that? "I would love to be more than just your friend."

"Really? You like me that much?"

"I like you a lot." He said smiling and kissing her again. "When we leave this place, I'm going to take you out for some real dinner and I can celebrate being with the most beautiful girl in the world, the right way."

"Stop." She said blushing so hard that her entire face had turned red.

So that was the start of something new in their relationship. They were officially in a relationship. He could call her his girlfriend and she could call him her boyfriend. That was like heaven to them. Nicknames started being used and kissing was second nature to breathing. They were falling for each other quickly and they were falling hard.

"Babe ... when are we going to dinner?" Nick asked playing with her hair as they laid on the couch in his room. For a mental institute this was pretty fancy.

"Do we have to go?" She asked turning over on her stomach so she could lay her cheek on his chest.

"I'm hungry." He said still playing with her hair.

"But I want to stay here." She said pulling herself up a little more so she was face to face with him. "I want to lay with you."

"We can lay together all you want ... after dinner."

"If I say cuddle, will you stay?"

"Cuddling ... dinner." He contemplated aloud. "But I'm hungry!"

"Fine fine fine. Lets go." She said getting up and they soon left.

"Okay, so now that you've had your dinner, will you cuddle with me Nicky?"  
She asked poking her bottom lip out.

"Come here." He said taking her over to his bed and they laid down. "Better?"

"Thank you."

"I got you something."

She immediately sat up. "For what? You didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted too. We've been together for exactly six months and I wanted to give you something special." He sat up too and smiled.

He pulled out something from underneath the bed and it was wrapped. "Baby you didn't have to get me anything." She repeated gasping with one hand over her mouth.

"Just open it."

She slowly opened it and it revealed a familiar show box. "Nicky if this is what I think it is I'm going to cry." She continued opening it and soon found the limited edition converse she had wanted right before she was put in the crazy house. Yes, she was bawling her eyes out. Tears of joy of course.

"Don't cry, babe. I just wanted to let you know I loved you."

"I love you too baby." She said leaning over and kissing him tenderly.

"Bed time." Helen came in and told them. Helen was the only nurse that let them have their time together. She let them stay up late together when they should be in bed. Helen made their relationship run smoothly.

"Five more minutes please?" April asked poking her lip out again.

"Only five. They're already getting suspicious because they heard noises."

"Thank you Helen." She said with a smile and soon the door was closed again. "I can't wait to get out of here. I want to enjoy the outside world and go to that restaurant you always talk about."

"Chipotle?"

"Yes! And I want to find a place near you so we can still be together."

"You don't have to buy a place babe, you can live with me." He said kissing her.

"I like that idea."

"Seriously guys! Bed time!" Helen said coming in and pulling April with her.

"Bye baby, see you in the morning." She said as the door closed and she tip-toed back to her room with Helen.

_A Few Months Later:_

"I don't want you to go Nicky." She said holding into his jacket.

"I don't want to go either babe. But I promise I'm going to be the one to pick you up in a couple weeks when you're released."

"Don't leave me!" She said crying hysterically into his chest. "I can't see you for a month and a half! Stupid John requested I have no visitors! I hate him! Now I can't see you, and I'll be lonely, and-and-and." She stuttered through her tears.

"Hey, look at me, babe. I swear I'll be here. We've already got it cleared with everyone that I'll be the one taking you home, just wait okay?" He said continuing to hug her as tight as he could.

"Don't find anyone new okay?"

"Never."

"Well you better go before I throw a mental fit and they keep me in here longer." She said pulling away and letting him brush away her tears. "I love you Nicky."

"I love you too babe." He said pulling her in for the most passionate kiss he could produce in his body. She responded with the same passion and the kiss turned into a feisty fight of who loved who more. They both wanted to be dominating and let the other know they loved each other way too much and they'd miss each other.

Come on man!" A man said pulling up in a car and honking the horn.

"Who's that?" She asked leaning her head further over to see the man in the car. He looked a lot like Nick.

"That's my brother. Come here." He said pulling her over to the car. "Ryan, this is April."

"Trust me, I could tell by that kiss that that's April. Hi it's nice to meet you." Ryan said smirking because he saw the crimson red take over her face.

"Hi. I've heard a lot about you."

"Good or bad?"

"Good!" She smiled at his face he was making at Nick.

"I've talked to her for like 10 seconds and I already know she's a keeper dude."

"She definitely is." Nick said turning around and facing her again. "I'll be right here on June 7th waiting on you."

April walked her first steps of freedom, down the steps of the front of the building and breathed in the fresh air. It felt different being free instead of in the garden where you were outside, but still in a big cage.

She was supposed to be meeting Nick right in front of the building and she had been waiting for about five minutes so she wasn't worried. Nick loved her and he promised that he was coming back for her on June 7th. More time passed by and that's when she started to worry.

She started heading back inside when she heard his voice. "Why are you walking that way? i thought freedom was the other way." She turned around and immediately started crying.

"You came." She choked out.

"Of course I came. I couldn't leave you." He said standing in actual clothes. They had been given clothes inside and weren't allowed to use regular ones.

"You look different." She whispered as she finally came back down the stairs.

"How?" He said meeting her half way.

"You're in regular clothes and you love me still. That's something I never expected."

"Babe -"

She interrupted him by putting her finger to his mouth. "I missed you too much for speeches about how much you love me. Show me." She bit her lip and closed her eyes as as saw his leaning toward her.

There again they shared another kiss that made everything around them freeze. "I love you." He said as they pulled away.

"I love you too Nicky."

_When They Reach The House:_

"Wow. This is a really nice place." April said walking around getting familiar with things at his house.

"Thanks. My mom left it to me." Nick said coming to where she was.

"Why were you admitted into the crazy place?" She randomly asked turning around to look at him.

"My dad was diagnosed with cancer. I didn't deal with it too well. Losing another parent wasn't something I wanted to happen."

"Baby I'm sorry." She said coming up to him and putting her hands around him.

"It's fine. He's better now. We're almost a year in ... how do you want to celebrate?"

"I don't know. Being with you is enough for me."

"Well come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"To that dinner I promised you." He smiled and took her hand. This was going to be a great start for them. Living officially in their own world was going to be the best thing for them.

Over dinner they talked about everything that happened in the last month and a half they didn't see each other and they occasionally got stopped by the waitress saying people were complaining about inappropriate sounds. It was only them kissing but hey, they were pretty good kissers.

"Yes I'm sure." She said putting her hand on his chest as they walked into what was now their bedroom.

"Babe I don't want you to feel forced."

She kissed him roughly. "Does it look like I feel forced?"

"Once again I will remind you that when I lay you on that bed, all bets are off and I will attack you with a multitude of kisses that you won't be able to recover from until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning."

"I'm totally fine with that." She said kissing him slowly this time. The kiss quickly sped up and clothes were flying everywhere.

_A While Later:_

"How do you feel?" Nick asked her after she had stopped breathing so fast.

"Loved." April said pulling him down slightly and kissing him.

"I hope you always feel like that with me." He said leaning down kissing up her neck.

"I don't see myself straying anytime soon."

"Good."

"I was a virgin." She said looking him in the eyes. "That was secret three."

"You what?"

"I was a virgin before tonight."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You would have been careful and you would have been safe. I didn't want you to be."

"I would have made it special for you."

"I didn't want you to baby. I wanted it to be everything you had. I wanted this right here. You laying on top of me, kissing me like there's no tomorrow. That's what I wanted. Nothing special." She said running her hands threw his hair.

"As long as you're happy, I'm okay." He said leaning down and kissing her neck again.

"I'm more than happy." There was a long pause. "We need to cut your hair again." She said running her hands through it still. "Last time I did this it was shorter."

"I'll get it cut tomorrow." He said coming up to her face and kissing her.

"Will you please tell me how this is even possible? We met in a freaking mental institute! How many people do you know fall in love in a mental institute and live happily ever after? This is something special." She said smiling.

"This is what love is babe."

"I want to be in love forever then." She said pulling him closer if that was even possible. This was her new life. This was his new life. This was their new life ... together.

"I guess we need to go back to the crazy place."

"Why?"

"Because I'm crazy in love with you."

"Come here." She said laughing at his corny joke and kissing him. "I'll go anywhere with you."

"So if I wanted to go to Paris you'd come with me."

"Of course."

"Really?"

"This is what love is right Nicky?"

He responded kissing her and on went there night. This really was ... what love is.


End file.
